Ōmanawa near Tauranga: Rural Area Guide to the Valley, Falls and Local Life

Ōmanawa occupies a scenic valley on the northern edge of the Mamaku Plateau country, where the Ōmanawa River flows north toward its confluence with the Wairoa River. The landscape mixes farmland, lifestyle properties, regenerating bush and steep gorge sections.

The Ministry for Culture and Heritage translates Ōmanawa as “place of Manawa”. The falls themselves are known as Te Rere o Ōmanawa, rendered as “the waterfall of the heart”, and hold deep significance for Ngāti Hangarau as a place of āio (insight and reflection) and rongoā (healing).

The whenua lies within Ngāti Hangarau rohe and was affected by nineteenth-century raupatu confiscations. Today the locality remains predominantly rural, with properties along Ōmanawa Road, Belk Road, McLaren Falls Road and connecting lanes.

Tauranga City Council manages the public reserve at the falls in partnership with hapū, while much of the surrounding land falls under Western Bay of Plenty District administration. The area is often grouped with Pyes Pā, Tauriko and The Lakes in council community reporting.

A defining feature is the 35-metre Ōmanawa Falls, where the river drops into a large pool after passing through a narrow gorge. Adjacent sits the historic Ōmanawa Falls Power Station, commissioned in 1915 as the first underground hydro-electric generating station in New Zealand and the Southern Hemisphere.

Water is diverted around the falls to drive the station. The power station is a Category 2 historic place listed by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.

Public access to the falls reserve was upgraded with cliff reinforcement, walking tracks, more than 750 stairs and three lookout platforms.

The site now offers panoramic views of the falls and valley, information panels on cultural significance and power-station history, a carved tomokanga and pou, plus ecological walking loops. It is open daily within set hours and emphasises respect for the sacred character of the place: swimming, rock climbing and alcohol are prohibited, and only service dogs are permitted.

Te Rere o Ōmanawa provides the main structured outdoor experience. From the car park an immersive ngahere walkway leads to lookouts; the section between Wairere Tapu Lookout and Te Harikoa Lookout includes several hundred stairs and requires moderate to high fitness.

Two ecological loops branch from the main track. Opening hours are 8 am to 7.30 pm in summer (daylight saving) and 8 am to 5.30 pm in winter. Address: 1031 Ōmanawa Road.

McLaren Falls lies a short drive away via McLaren Falls Road and offers complementary walking and picnic opportunities beside the Wairoa River system. The wider valley and nearby TECT All Terrain Park (further south on State Highway 36) expand options for bush walks and outdoor recreation, though the immediate Ōmanawa setting remains quieter and more reflective.

The Ōmanawa Falls Power Station was built for the Tauranga Borough Council and officially completed in 1915, with street lighting in Tauranga following soon after. It was enlarged in 1921.

Designed with an excavated rock cavern and tunnels, it marked an early provincial municipal hydro scheme and is linked to engineer Lloyd Mandeno’s work. Ownership later transferred under energy reforms, and the station has continued generating after upgrades. Heritage New Zealand lists it for its technological and historical importance as an early underground station.

The falls reserve reopened to the public after safety works that included hundreds of rock bolts and soil nails. Governance involved Tauranga City Council, Ngāti Hangarau and Tourism Bay of Plenty. Interpretation now highlights both the engineering story and the enduring cultural values of the site for hapū.

Omanawa Hall at 560 Ōmanawa Road is maintained by local volunteers (Omanawa Hall Incorporated Society) for community gatherings and events. It serves as a practical hub for residents of the scattered rural properties. Everyday services and larger retail are found in neighbouring Pyes Pā, Tauriko or central Tauranga rather than within Ōmanawa itself.